


The Unimaginable

by Twentythreefandoms



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Episode: s02e13 Mizumono, Explicit Sexual Content, First Kiss, First Time, Getting Together, Hamilton References, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Inspired from the Hamilton musical, Let the boys cry, M/M, Smut, Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:20:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25934293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twentythreefandoms/pseuds/Twentythreefandoms
Summary: Will knew his betrayal to Hannibal ran deep, but he couldn't foresee the absolute carnage that would become of it. But it didn't stop him from trying to fix his mistake and kill Freddy Lounds before arriving to Hannibal's home, knowing Jack would be there. After Will's been gutted by the one man who Saw him, loved him, he revealed what he had done to the tabloid reporter, causing Hannibal to spiral in guilt.But it's too late. The damage has been done. And their daughter is dead.They run away together, but Will refuses to let Hannibal in again, despite everything telling him to be with him.He's working through the unimaginable.
Relationships: Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 11
Kudos: 133





	The Unimaginable

**Author's Note:**

> So... guess who listened to the Hamilton soundtrack and got a random burst of inspiration after two years of writer's block? This gal. 
> 
> The name comes from the song "It's Quiet Uptown" where I insert some influences from the song in the work. 
> 
> The home where they run away to is the same one from TWOTL, but I placed it in Oregon. So picture that house and terrace. 
> 
> I also filtered in dialogue from other future episodes that were said between Will and Hannibal, but since this is a divergence after Mizumono they technically weren't going to be used! lol

Will held his gun upright, ready to use it at a moment’s notice. He saw the blood pooling underneath the door that he knew led to the pantry. A part of him didn’t know if he wanted that blood to be Jack’s or Hannibal’s, but deep down he knew in his heart and mind that he couldn’t bear to see anything happen to Hannibal. Jack had used him, mistreated him. But even if he wanted revenge against his superior, it paled in comparison to immense grief that would wash over him if the origin of that crimson pool came from the doctor. His doctor. The man that had changed every part of him in such a short amount of time. 

It was why he called Hannibal. It was why in the midst of his meeting with Freddy Lounds that he decided his fate. He had made a horrible mistake. He was confused at the time, but the sick and curdled pit in his stomach at the thought of betraying Hannibal any longer was too much to bear. It was decided by him then and there while looking at the red-haired woman that he would come clean to Hannibal about his lie. He would ask for forgiveness. He would make it right. 

It was why he killed Freddy Lounds. No pageantry, nothing intimate or extravagant like Will was coming to understand about his killings, but simple and easy just as his decision to leave this world he had known for a new one with Hannibal. The FBI would be after him, but it didn’t matter anymore.

They would run away together. Just like Hannibal wanted, and Will so desperately desired.

His hands shook the slightest bit, his handle on the trigger slipping slightly, whether due to the downpouring rain soaking him as he entered the estate or his nerves causing his hands to perspire, he couldn’t be certain. All he knew was that he had to find Hannibal before anything got more out of hand. Alana didn’t know of his deep alliance with Hannibal, it’d be easy to slip out with him and no one ever see them again. All he had to do was find Hannibal and make sure that wasn’t his blood in the pantry. 

A quiet whimpering alarmed Will and he turned slowly, unaware that every fiber in his being could go numb at the sight of his and Hannibal’s founded daughter, her body shaking and crying as Will lowered the gun in silence. How long had it been since he had seen Abigail? How many nights had he clung to the idea of the three of them being together, living a life all their own? Hannibal supposedly killed her, why didn’t he? A new level of shame washed over Will, the betrayal on his part making it even more sinister when he looked at the face of the young girl that Hannibal and himself so deeply cared for. 

“Abigail.” He breathed, everything coming together in that moment. This was Hannibal’s plan. They would run away, but Abigail would be with them. They would be a family. Whole. All their own. 

Will knew he had darkness in him, only matched by Hannibal. But he knew Abigail was a killer, just like her fathers. He wondered why she was crying. If she was supposed to be part of their world, a world formed and created by Hannibal, she had to be able to fit. He saw her youth despite her deep despair, and a wave a horror washed through Will.  _ She’s not strong enough _ , He thought to himself. The world that Will and Hannibal were going to create together was harsh and violent, a world meant just for them. Abigail, while they loved her and cared for her, was falling out of the equation.  _ Please, be strong enough _ , Will pleaded. He couldn’t imagine losing her again, not so soon after her reappearance in his life. 

Abigail continued to whimper, “I didn’t know what else to do, so… I just did what he told me.”

_ No, no, no _ … It was falling apart so fast. Abigail had lost her fire. She was scared, and she wasn’t fitting.  _ Fit, Abigail! FIT! _

Hannibal. Where was Hannibal?! 

“Where is he?” Will asked, dreading the answer regardless. If he was behind the pantry door, his blood coating the kitchen floor, he had only moments left to live. But if not, then it was Abigail that was running out of time. Will was going to run away with him, he would beg for forgiveness, and he would make sure Abigail was safe. She was a fledgling, she will be better. She won’t be scared anymore. 

Abigail didn’t answer him, but her eyes flickered minutely beyond Will, and the presence of the doctor presented itself behind Will. Something was wrong. Hannibal was acting as if Will was the enemy. On the other side. That wasn’t right, it felt sickening to Will. He couldn’t understand why his counterpart was acting this way. Why any of this was happening. Why was Abigail alive? Why was she scared? And most importantly, why weren’t they on their way to their new life?

“Y-You were supposed… to leave.”  _ And I was going to be right behind you. _ His eyes finally locked with Hannibal’s, and the utter despair on Hannibal’s face blinded Will. The impending feeling of something horribly wrong clung to him deeper and deeper. 

There was a long pause where the two stood and could only look at each other.  _ This was the man I’ve fallen in love with _ , Will concluded,  _ and I am utterly under his spell _ . He didn’t understand why Hannibal was so upset, it genuinely scared Will. He had never seen Hannibal show this side to himself, the unhinged and broken pieces that were laying out bare and naked for Will to see. 

Something told Will he shouldn’t be seeing it. That those who saw this wild unpredictable part of Hannibal didn’t experience it for very long.  _ Let me be enough for you _ .

“We couldn’t leave without you.” Hannibal replied simply, but the emotions behind them were anything but. His eyes were shining against his unshed tears, care and tenderness threatening to release themselves but were carefully tucked away by the older man. 

As Hannibal’s emotions played out in front of Will, a sinking feeling overcame him with the terrifying notion that the reason Hannibal was so upset was because he knew of Will’s betrayal. With all of his outstanding power, somehow he found out. How long he had known Will was not sure of, but the wave of terror washed over Will. 

_ No, no, I didn’t get to explain myself. _ Will wanted to shout, plead, beg to the man before him, but he knew that Hannibal was heartbroken, and Will deserved whatever punishment Hannibal would give him. The only saving grace was the slight tender and heartbroken man before him still loved him, he knew it was true. Hannibal was scared and felt alone, and it was a dangerous combination for anyone to be in, let alone Hannibal Lecter, the Chesapeake Ripper. 

The words fell from Will’s tongue before he could even speak, his desperation readily across his face. Hannibal breathed out slowly as if deciding something unpleasant and lifted his hand to cupped Will’s cheek, yet another intimate moment between the two. Will clung to the moment, hoping that this was a sign that however Hannibal found out about the betrayal wouldn’t cause him to do something unredeemable. Will only needed a few moments to explain himself, to tell Hannibal his new plan to exact revenge on not just Freddy Lounds, but Jack Crawford if he were to survive this night. He would plead the case for Abigail’s life, that she belonged in the world with them. 

However, he was too distracted by Hannibal’s eyes. A vow he had made to himself all those years ago that eyes were to be avoided at all times eventually proved itself correct. The eyes of the man he so desperately loved turned anguished and just as the knife plunged into Will’s abdomen, the sharpest physical pain Will had ever experienced exploded through him as he clung to Hannibal’s form. Even now, Will couldn’t help but clasp his life to Hannibal. This was his punishment for the betrayal, he decided through the pain. He deserved every gash that was created from the doctor as the wound continued to open expertly by Hannibal’s uncharacteristically untamed hand. This wasn’t sure and clean. This was impulsive. This was grief.

This was his design. 

Once Hannibal was decidedly done with his work, he pulled Will close to his body, their heat shared for the first time. If Will was going to stay alive, he had to take his mind off the horrifying gash. Instead, he focused on Hannibal’s fingers that curled into his soaked hair, the way that they pulled him close to his skin. He felt Hannibal’s face fold into the crook of his neck, the moment extremely intimate if Will wasn’t currently fighting for his life. 

“Time did reverse.” Hannibal finally spoke, allowing Will another thing to cling onto. Tears started to fall readily down his cheeks. “The teacup that I shattered did come together. A place was made for Abigail in your world. Do you understand?” 

Things were beginning to feel numb to the touch, much to Will’s horror. He needed to feel the pain in his stomach, the fingers in his hair and the mouth on his neck to be his anchors. The betrayal, the closeness and the intimacy. Will shook his head against Hannibal’s body. He still didn’t understand what brought them to this place. How did Hannibal know of the deception?

Will continued to sob. 

“A place was made for all of us.” Hannibal continued, the hand returned to cup his face so that they could gaze into their eyes once more. “Together.” 

_ Yes!  _ Will cried.  _ That’s all I wanted! I just made a mistake! I’m sorry! Please!  _

“I wanted to surprise you. And you…” The sinister glaze in his eyes returned, frightening Will further, “You wanted to surprise me.”

Will fell from Hannibal’s clasp, his body slamming onto the floor. He finally reached for his wound to attempt at stopping the bleeding, and it was then that he remembered that Abigail was still in the room. If Hannibal was this unhinged and desperate, if he treated Will this way, what was he going to do to little Abigail?

“I let you know me, see me...” Hannibal said brokenly, the anguish overwhelming him and his tears finally overflowing over his stained cheeks. “I gave you a rare gift. But you didn’t want it.”

“Didn’t I?” Will gasped out, the only words he could manage to utter. There was so much else that he had to say, to explain, but all his energy was in staying alive. The wound wasn’t the only thing that was overflowing between the two men. It was a sad sense of Sight the two had never acknowledged before, but now it was too late. They could plainly see each other, to see how much the two cared and loved, but it was all crashing down around them. 

Hannibal was utterly anguished, Will could clearly see it. His words had cut him just as he had physically cut Will. It was uncertainty at his decision, but he was too much into his sorrow to allow himself to follow anything but raw violence. 

“You would deny me my life.” Hannibal concluded, trying to bargain against the man crumpled on his kitchen floor. He was excusing his actions, justifying why he had acted in violence against the one person he was to ever love and show himself to. 

“No, no, no… not your life, no.” Will replied to Hannibal. 

“My freedom then!” Hannibal shot back. “You would take that from me. Confine me to a prison cell.”

It was then that Will realized he had miscalculated. Hannibal knew that Will loved him, surely, but he didn’t realize how utterly incapable Will was of going against that new emotion. For as much as Hannibal saw of Will, he still didn’t know enough to gauge correctly the sheer power that came from Will’s love. If only Will had discovered the same in time as well. 

They were too late. 

Will peered up at Hannibal, a cold wash of terror flooded over him at the sight of Hannibal gazing over at their daughter, only to look down upon Will, the love so readily there locked away behind a hard gaze. “Do you think you could change me, the way I’ve changed you?”

The question itself was so nonsensical to Will, he immediately replied, “I already did.”

Haven't they changed together? Fallen for each other together? Bonded over a daughter, together? Killed together? It wasn’t a question of if Will had changed Hannibal, it was if Hannibal had seen it himself, and if he had seen it had he believed it to be for the right reasons?

Will tried to make Hannibal see that. Yes, they both had irreversibly changed the other person, but they did it out of love.  _ I will never let you feel like you aren’t loved again _ , Will wanted to say, but could only manage a weak smile before it was lost to the crippling pain surging through his body. 

“Fate and circumstance have returned us to this moment. When the teacup shatters.” Hannibal finally said, not allowing himself to see what Will was trying to say to him. He wasn’t listening! He was making a mistake! Will wanted to cry out for the love of the man he had so securely in his hand not one day ago. He never thought he would find himself at the end of Hannibal’s knife, fighting for the fleeting spark of his life as he stared into the eyes of the man he had hurt beyond recognition. 

“I forgive you, Will… will you forgive me?” 

Will forgot about the love lost eyes he was staring into, he forgot about his rapidly fading lifespan, he forgot about every single body that was in the home except for Abigail’s and Hannibal’s, knowing exactly what Hannibal intended to do next. “Oh no, don’t.” Will pleaded, “N-Don’t, don’t…” was the only thing he could repeat, but it was no use. Hannibal had made up his mind, refusing to see beyond the hurt that Will had caused him by going behind his back. Hannibal didn’t know! He didn’t know about Freddy Lounds’ death! If only he knew that he had right his wrong, maybe it would save Abigail’s life, if only for a little while longer. 

As Will repeatedly pleaded to Hannibal, it was overshadowed by Hannibal’s request for Abigail to join him where he stood. 

Unsure but without a choice, their daughter joined one of her fathers as she took his hand, her eyes puffy with tears, unaware of what was to come next. 

“NO NO NO!” Will screamed as Hannibal sliced Abigail’s throat in the exact same spot as her biological father had once done. Her blood splattered onto Will’s face as she gasped and cried out in pain, her whole body covered in her own crimson as she collapsed to the kitchen floor in front of Will, her body expertly butchered so that she would die before Will ever got a chance to. 

“You can make it all go away.” Hannibal spoke softly as he leaned in front of Will, their faces mere inches apart. “Put your head back. Close your eyes, wade into the quiet of the stream.”

A newfound surge of energy erupted in Will, allowing him to look into Hannibal’s eyes once again with surety, “I killed Freddy Lounds!”

Hannibal lost his temper, the raw power of the man above him letting loose, “I SMELLED HER ON YOU THIS MORNING!” He bellowed. 

Will continued to cry as he watched as their daughter continued to bleed out in front of him, “I saw her one last time this afternoon…” His breath came in short spurts as he used all of his lasting energy on finally trying to make Hannibal see. “I couldn’t live without you… so I killed her.”

Hannibal’s breath matched Will’s, confusion and uncertainty finally making its way back onto Hannibal’s face rather than pure fury. He quickly pulled out his phone and held it up to his mouth, “Search for Freddie Lounds.” The screen flashed to light, and what must have been fresh tabloids depicting the gruesome murder of the ever tenacious reporter displayed itself in front of Hannibal, the older man dropped the phone through his nimble fingers. The confusion remained evident on his face, “You… really did want to run away with me?”

“Where else would I go?” Will cried, the question so obvious to Will he couldn't understand why Hannibal didn’t see it until now. 

A fresh set of tears overcame Hannibal and he immediately dropped to Will’s side, one hand trying to help Will stop the bleeding in his abdomen and the other cupping Will’s face again, only this time Hannibal was much more soft with the exchange. 

“Oh my Will, my poor Will, please forgive me.” He begged, his lips coming forward and brushing the tears running down Will’s cheeks. 

Will leaned into the touch desperately, but he knew that everyone was running out of time. Surely the FBI would be on their way to intercede; Will’s injury, despite both men clutching the wound together, continued to bleed out, but most importantly to Will was Abigail, who was beginning to quiet behind them. 

“Hannibal… Abigail. Help her,  _ please _ .”

In the far off distance the sound of police sirens were making themselves known. They had less than ten minutes to flee before their lives were over. 

Hannibal looked between Will and Abigail, and within seconds Will was swept up in Hannibal’s arms, carried as if he was his bride. “I’m sorry, Will, but we have to leave her if we wish to survive.” 

Will clutched Hannibal’s stained white shirt with one hand and the other flung out desperately to reach towards their daughter, “No, no, Abigail! She’s our daughter, you can’t leave her!” 

“It’s too late for her, Will. I cut her too deep.” He admitted brokenly as he turned them out of the kitchen, past the dining room and out into the cold wet night. All the while, Will sobbed and cried out for their daughter, the last glimpse he saw of her was one of a frightened girl who was about to lose her life at the hands of her own parents. 

She was doomed to die alone. 

“I’ll never forgive you.” Will sobbed over and over, and it was the last thing he said before he lost consciousness. 

  
  
  


Will always knew that Hannibal was prepared to leave at a moment’s notice, that there were surely hundreds of options, different outcomes that would allow Hannibal to escape to different locations. Surely, all around the world Hannibal had hideouts, places he could run to if his location were to become unstable. Will wondered how many of those locations allowed Will in his life. 

It took Will three days to eventually stabilize and wake up, no longer on the cusp of death at Hannibal’s hand. He looked at his bare chest and saw expertly wrapped gauze around his wound, his arm attached to an IV that supplied blood and fluids into his system. 

The bedroom he was in was understandably refined, knowing that Hannibal wouldn’t settle for anything less. His bed was a large one with expensive navy sheets and a heavy brown duvet, the walls while a lighter grey were lit due to the large windows overlooking a cliff that led to a large body of water below. Will wondered where Hannibal had taken them. Surely one of Hannibal’s many secret hideouts. 

The memories of everything that happened before Will fell unconscious came swarming back to him, causing him to begin to weep in earnest. Abigail. She was dead, she had to be. The last time he saw her alive she was scared and hurt, reaching out with bloodied fingers towards her fathers who were leaving her behind.

Abigail was dead. She died alone.

Through his tears he saw the open door become shrouded by a form, and Will focused on it to see Hannibal, all cuts and bruises sporting dark trousers and a black fitted sweater. His arms were crossed, his stature uncertain and timid as he locked eyes with Will. The man looked utterly broken. Will wondered which of them had it worse. 

“I didn’t know what would happen once you woke up.” Hannibal spoke softly, almost to himself. “I told myself you would wake up. I couldn’t imagine if you didn’t--”

“You killed our daughter.” Will sobbed, not allowing Hannibal to finish. 

Hannibal’s face crumpled, his arms curling tighter around his body as if trying to hold himself. “I’ve never acted on such impulse before. Never did I see myself hurting her. I promise I didn’t.”

Will wiped away his tears, his eyes casting upwards to the white ceiling. He was ruined by grief, and it was caused by the man he so wholly loved. It broke him. The desire to be cradled by Hannibal was overwritten by the stark images of being gutted and held by the same man who had changed him so completely. 

“Will…” Hannibal spoke desperately, his voice breaking through his desperation for Will to understand his error. “Please…”

“Don’t…” Will trembled, his hand on his wrapped stomach clutching to the aching memory, “I meant what I said. It’s over. We… We’re over. Once I’m well enough I’m leaving.” 

Will heard Hannibal shutter breath through his lips, evident that he was still crying steadily. Will wish he didn’t care. But it wasn’t even worth lying to himself. 

When Will looked at the door frame again, it was empty. 

  
  
  


The next month was spent on Will recuperating from his injuries. Words were not passed between the two. They began a new normal where Hannibal would leave Will to his own doings apart from the medical attention and the meals that were provided every few hours. Will didn’t care to ask the origins of the prepped meals he was consuming, it didn’t matter anymore. He had decided that this would be his new life, and he couldn’t feel ire at himself that it had gone so poorly. If it hadn’t been for Abigail unexpectedly coming back into his life he would have welcomed this so wholeheartedly. He was expecting this. But everything was tainted now. 

Hannibal helped him eat every single meal, their limited bonding spoken only through Hannibal cutting up Will’s meat or transferring portions of his food onto Will’s emptied plate, the younger man eating it up without thought. When Will sighed, setting his utensil down, it was a sign that he was finished and Hannibal would take the plate silently. Occasionally, Will would hold the sharp knife provided to him for cutting up his meal, and Hannibal would look at him forlornly. Will would consider what it would look like to hold the knife up to Hannibal's neck and sweep it across, ending the man’s life. 

Will knew he would never do it.

Will never left Hannibal.

Eventually, his strength returned to him and he was able to walk around the expanse of the modern home at the edge of the cliff with the help of Hannibal. Will discovered over time that Hannibal had taken them to Oregon, and the water they saw before them was the Pacific Ocean. The salty sea air helped ground Will in his new life as Hannibal helped him around the land, his body too weak to do it alone. The effect of losing so much blood in one sitting. 

Or, if Will had to be honest with himself, it was Will needing some semblance of the man he once knew. Despite his promise that he would never forgive Hannibal for what he had done to Abigail, he couldn’t help but need the man near him. Through all his nightmares that he would have, Hannibal would always run into the room and soothe Will out of his trance, standing at the side of Will’s bed until Will reached out for Hannibal to sit next to him, their hands clasped loosely. Once Will calmed himself down enough Hannibal would remove his hand from Will’s and begin to replace Will’s bandages after he had perspired through them. His fingers were sure and caring, Will had to remind himself they were the same when he ripped the life from Abigail’s throat. 

Somehow, beyond Will’s expectations, Hannibal was able to smuggle all of Will’s dogs into their new home, fresh tears falling from Will’s eyes once more, but for the first time in nearly two months it was of happiness. 

Will held his dogs close to him every night, and the nightmares very slowly started to make their way out of Will’s sleep. But Hannibal was always there whenever he did have them. 

It was their new normal. 

When he was finally able to walk around the property on his own, Will would find himself walking the dogs for hours on end, his mind full and his heart aching. No matter how far he strayed, though, he would always return back to Hannibal and their home. The dogs grew accustomed to the new member of the household, and Hannibal treated them with all the love he wished he could have afforded to Abigail. Will watched as Hannibal was playing with the dogs one afternoon and he let a new set of tears fall down his face. Hannibal looked over to Will, his face uncharacteristically alight, but was sobered quickly when he saw the conflict in Will’s eyes. 

Will didn’t want to be in love with Hannibal. 

They were able to have their meals out on the back terrace once the dogs were trained well enough not to go running too far. The pair would share their meals quietly as they always would, drinking their fine wine and come to the understanding of their new life. 

“It’s nice and quiet here.” Hannibal spoke softly, not expecting an answer from Will.

“I never liked the quiet before.” Will whispered back, speaking to Hannibal for the first time since their departure from their old life. 

Hannibal looked at Will, stunned, but Will continued to sip on his blood red wine and stare out at the ocean, the waves crashing against the cliff creating a steady and balanced measure that allowed the two men to use it as a basis of normalcy. They weren’t going to make a big deal out of it. Nothing was new here. 

  
  
  
  


“It’s nice and quiet here.” Will looked over to Abigail who was standing beside him in the river, their hours of fly fishing not gaining much success for either or them. 

“I never liked the quiet before.” Abigail grinned, tucking a strand of her hair behind her one and only ear. “I know you’re getting closer with him again.” She spoke after a short while of silence between the two. There was no heat behind her words. 

“I didn’t want to.” Will whispered, his voice thick with regret. “He gave you back to me. Then he took you away.”

Abigail looked at Will sadly, and she made her way over to him without making a disturbance in the water, further proving to Will that this was only his illusion and that Abigail was still dead somewhere across the other side of the country. She placed her hand on his like Hannibal would do after he’s had a nightmare, “He said he made a place for us.”

Will looked down at their hands, “What if no one died? What if we all left together? We’d all be here right now. He and I… we’d…”  _ He and I would be how we were supposed to be _ . His imagination began to recreate what it would have looked like. Their meals every morning, afternoon and evening, their walks as a family, going to the market in the little town not far south of them. 

“In some other world?” Abigail asked, her hand clasping tighter before letting go. 

Will nodded. 

“You and him finally ran away together. How you always wanted.” 

“Not like this!” He replied quickly, voice thick with emotion, “Not with you--” He couldn’t voice the word. Not yet. 

“I was your daughter. Both of yours. I brought you together. There was a place in this world for me, but you know I wasn’t going to last long in it. I don’t see the world as you two do.”

“I don’t even know if we see the world that way anymore.” Will told her. “We were alone, and then we weren’t. And then everything fell apart because we had each other.”

“You still want to go to him.” 

Will swallowed the lump in his throat, “A part of me will always want to go to him.”

Abigail looked him straight in the eyes, “I don’t want you to be alone because of me. Be with him. Be…  _ happy _ .” 

Will couldn’t escape the flood of tears, “I’m afraid it’s too late. That I can’t let myself love him again.”

Abigail smiled sadly, “You wouldn’t still be here if you thought that was the case.”

Will eventually finished his fly fishing session, packing up his equipment and the meager supply of fish he caught and stared out at the river. Abigail was gone again, but this time there was a strong sense of conclusion. It would never replace the stolen moments he was robbed of, but he felt as if he could see himself in a new light, one that wasn’t shrouded in anger and denial. 

He made his way back to the house where he found Hannibal in his garden. The older man heard his footsteps and he watched as Will approached him. He was rightfully cautious, seeing as Will had never spent much time with him outside of their meals anymore. Hannibal wiped away a few strands of his longer hair and waited quietly as Will set down his gear and sighed. Hannibal continued to watch Will as the younger man looked up into Hannibal’s eyes, the pair sat silently and stared at each other, their nonverbal tendency allowing them a conversation without needing to speak a word. 

Will was the first to break eye contact and look down between their two bodies. Slowly, Will removed Hannibal’s gardening gloves and dropped them to the ground before bringing both of their hands up and entwining their fingers to eye level, the raw emotion displaying easily for both men. 

Hannibal’s lip trembled, his eyes shiny and wet and Will let out a choked laugh before moving forward and placing a soft kiss to Hannibal’s lips. 

Will pulled away, both of their faces wet from tears, “It’s nice and quiet here.” He whispered, his face smiling sadly. He watched as Hannibal nodded, Will leaned in to kiss him again before gently removing his hands from Hannibal’s and grabbing his fishing gear and bringing it inside. It took Hannibal a while to finally enter their home, but when he eventually made his presence known the younger man was cleaning the fish and preparing it for their dinner. “I was thinking of using some of your vegetables from the garden for dinner tonight.” Will spoke to the man at the edge of the kitchen. 

Hannibal silently walked over to Will, his body slightly behind him as he continued to work on the meat. Will didn’t react when a pair of strong arms wound their way around Will’s middle, long fingers splaying over the nearly healed wound that was covered by Will’s t-shirt. Will leaned back into the embrace, his head coming to rest on Hannibal’s shoulder and his face turned into Hannibal’s neck, smelling the older man’s cologne and natural scent. 

“Will you join me for a walk tomorrow morning?” Hannibal asked him, Will noting the sense of raw humility in his tone. 

Will said nothing, but nodded eagerly against the man. 

Hannibal shuddered out a long breath and Will could feel him smile against him. 

That night as Will made his way to his room, he remarked on their dinner. In a way, it was their first meal where they saw each other for who they really were in each other’s lives. Words were scarcely spoken, but there was an air of rebirth for them. The only conversation held between them began with Hannibal asking, “What changed?”

Will placed his fork down and looked around at his settings. The dogs were around the terrace while they ate and played with each other, the waves continued to crash against the cliff, and Hannibal was there, his dashing button up shirt accentuating all of his features in every right way. This would be their new normal now. 

“Abigail.” The name caused Hannibal to break away from Will’s gaze in grief, but Will reached out and took his hand which gave Hannibal an excuse to look at Will once again, “I gave her and I much needed closure. And,” Will grinned as Hannibal’s thumb caressed Will’s hand, “I want to be able to let myself love you without abandon. Can I do that?”

Hannibal’s smile was blinding through his tears, “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, Will. For the both of us.”

Will stopped before he reached his bedroom and looked over to Hannibal who was sitting in the little library, his pen scribbling quickly into a journal. “Hannibal.” Will said softly, the older man stopping what he was doing and looking up at Will. He held out his hand for Hannibal, and the older man stopped his work and strolled over to Will before taking his hand once more. “Let’s go to bed.” Will told him, bringing him to Will’s room. 

Will only let go of Hannibal’s hand when he got to the bed. Hannibal watched him with hungry eyes as he unbuttoned his jeans and shirt and shucked them off and tossed them in the hamper, leaving him only in his boxers. He no longer wore a shirt to bed after they arrived in this house, his frequent nightmares causing too much trouble for Hannibal to remove the shirt and the bandages. After a while, it just became a habit not to wear one. 

Hannibal mimicked Will and unbuttoned his shirt and carefully placed it on the dresser next to them before removing his tailored trousers and putting it in the same spot as the shirt. The two stared at each other in their nearly bare forms before Will pulled down the covers of the bed and crawled into bed, his hand reaching out for Hannibal to join him. He joined without a moment’s thought, tucking himself into the covers and moving them so that they covered both himself and Will’s torso, both of them lying side by side in the large bed. 

Will clicked the remote next to his bed and the lights in the room immediately turned off, leaving the two in darkness. Needing to see each other, they moved to face one other, and even in the darkness they could see their faces in the moonlight. 

“I never knew forgiveness could feel this way.” Will whispered, moving to take Hannibal’s hand and placing it over his side and cupping the small of his back. 

“Can I kiss you again, Will?” Hannibal breathed, his other hand coming up to tilt Will’s face up so that it was less than an inch from his lips. 

“God, yes.” Will barely finished before Hannibal brought his lips to Will’s, their mouths working together to allow the two to get to know each other. Soft moans and sighs filled the bedroom as the two men pursued this new side to their relationship. At one point Hannibal swiped his tongue against Will’s causing him to whimper against his mouth. 

Will turned his body and pulled Hannibal with him so that the older man was hovering over him, but they never broke the kiss. Both of their bodies were aligned and moving together as their hands roamed, cupped, groped and slid against everything and anything they could reach. Will broke the kiss and surged up to suck on Hannibal’s neck, placing bruising kisses and bites against the otherwise unmarred skin. 

“Oh Will,” Hannibal breathed as he rolled his hips down onto Will’s body, both of their erections making themselves readily known. “My Will.  _ Mano mylimasis _ . Can I touch you down there? Please, I want you so badly.”

Will whimpered against Hannibal’s skin and rolled his hips up to meet Hannibal’s, “ _ Please _ .” 

Hannibal met Will for another bruising kiss before moving down Will’s body, changing his tone and leaving soft kisses as he went. He spent his time at the large cut that spread across Will’s torso, leaving apologetic kisses along the scar before Will whispered Hannibal’s name, his voice rasped and eager. Hannibal then took Will’s boxers and pulled them down and off Will’s body, discarding it from the bed in an uncharacteristic move for the older man. Will noted the way that Hannibal was taking him in, and it nearly made him feel self conscious if the overwhelming feeling from Hannibal wasn’t absolute love and adoration. 

He moved down to pay special attention to Will’s cock, his hand wrapping around the base, his tongue flicking out and swiping across the tip to gather the small bud of precum. Will gasped with desire and watched as Hannibal took Will in his mouth, his head moving expertly up and down as he pumped the rest he couldn’t take in. 

“Fuck, Hannibal.” Will groaned, slowly moving his hips up and down to match the pace of the way Hannibal was sucking and licking at his cock. He never imagined years ago that he could have this with anyone, let alone Hannibal who came into his life so suddenly and changed everything. In such a short time he had absolutely uplifted his whole being to where they were now. 

Seen. 

“Could you… God, Hannibal, I want you in me so badly.” Will moaned, his hand caressing the beautiful face that was working so well on his cock. “Want you to fuck me.” 

Hannibal hummed desperately around Will’s cock, his mouth popping off with an unsurprising flare, “Language, my love.” Hannibal chided with a feral grin, his long fingers still working on his length. 

Will breathed out a short laugh, “Do you want to or not?”

“Oh I very much do.” Hannibal replied, moving up Will’s body and bringing their mouths together for a passionate kiss, one where Will was able to note Hannibal’s confidence and ease for the first time. “I have to grab the lube from my room.” Hannibal muttered against Will’s lips, causing Will to whine in return. Hannibal smiled, “I’ll be back before you know I was gone.”

The older man left the bed and made his way out of the room, but not before looking back to see Will stroking himself as he watched Hannibal. It was only moments before Hannibal returned to Will, a small bottle with him. Before he rejoined Will on the bed Hannibal discarded his boxer briefs so that they were both naked, eliciting a groan from Will as he took in the full length of Hannibal’s body. If he wasn’t the single most gorgeous creature he had ever set his eyes on. He subconsciously began stroking himself faster. 

Hannibal eyed Will with hungry eyes and made his way on the bed. He moved to sit in between Will’s legs, and Will let Hannibal pull his body so that his legs were wrapped around Hannibal’s waist. Hannibal didn’t waste any time and opened the bottle and doused his fingers in the substance. “Have you ever done this to yourself before, Will?”

Will nodded eagerly, looking up at Hannibal with eager eyes. 

Hannibal groaned and his fingers made their way to Will’s entrance, “Dare I ask if you thought of me while you did it?” 

Swiftly, he entered his middle finger into Will, pumping in and out of him, “Ah! Yes, Hannibal, yes.” He panted, one hand clasping to the sheets and the other reaching down to hold onto Hannibal’s forearm. “It was always you.”

That seemed to entice Hannibal, who eagerly entered a second digit into Will, allowing the younger man to adjust to the extra intrusion. “Utterly remarkable.” Hannibal breathed, scissoring Will open. “How did I ever live before you, I wonder?” 

“Hannibal, please. I need you.” Will begged, his body open and waiting for Hannibal to take. 

“Only if you’re ready.” Hannibal spoke lowly, his fingers expertly moving inside him, working him open. 

“ _ Please _ .” Will whispered once again, his breathing coming in short spurts as he watched in absolute adoration as Hannibal took such great care of him. Hannibal removed his fingers much to Will’s displeasure, but didn’t waste any time coating his cock in lube and positioning himself at Will’s entrance and pushing in slowly. 

Both men released moans at the intense sensations that surrounded their bodies as Hannibal continued his work into Will’s body. Will clung to Hannibal, his hands reaching down and grasping Hannibal’s ass as the man above him rolled languidly into him. They stared deeply into each other’s eyes before Hannibal swooped down and brought both of their lips together for a deep kiss. Hannibal was everywhere, surrounding him, in him, completing him. There was nothing of Will’s that he wouldn’t give to Hannibal. 

Will broke away from the kiss and pepper kisses along Hannibal’s cheekbone and whispered in his ear, “I love you, Hannibal.”

Hannibal made a pained noise, and his thrusts became wild, starting a punishing pace inside Will as the two rode out their impending orgasms. Hannibal reached for Will’s cock and pumped it in time with his thrusts and within moments Hannibal’s hand was coated in Will’s cum. Not seconds later Hannibal panted and moaned as he emptied himself inside Will, filling the man beneath him to completion. 

Will looked up, blinking rapidly to adjust to the beautiful sight that was Hannibal Lecter post sex. The older man appeared to be blissed out and exhausted, but he didn’t want to move an inch away from Will. Their bodies remained entangled, Hannibal still inside Will, and they slowed their breaths down as they came to terms of what they had just accomplished. 

Hannibal curled his face into Will’s neck, and soon Will could feel wetness on his neck and hear the soft sobs coming from Hannibal. Will soon felt himself release tears as he laced his fingers in Hannibal’s hair with one hand and the other pulling Hannibal impossibly closer to him, pushing Hannibal that much more inside his body. Hannibal whimpered and released a second but small orgasm into Will. 

“My love,” Hannibal whispered, “My everything.” 

After a considerable time, the pair eventually fell asleep, their bodies entangled impossibly close. 

The next morning the two men forced themselves out of their bed, into a shower, and prepared themselves for the day. They found themselves taking the walk through the woods that Hannibal requested, their fingers entwined and their bodies close. Hannibal reached over and placed a long kiss to Will’s temple, and Will closed his eyes and embraced the love from the man who had done the unimaginable. 

As he closed his eyes he saw Abigail standing before them, her eyes shining brightly, alive, and she turned and walked away from them, moving on to her own world where she fit in. Will opened his eyes and looked up at Hannibal, and the face that looked down at him was one of absolute euphoria. Will couldn’t help but reciprocate the smile and feel like they had really done it. They had overcome every obstacle set in their way, and what was left was a world made by them that they were going to build together. 

**Author's Note:**

> Likes and comments are greatly appreciated! <3


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